Of Heroes and Happenings

The Perfect One, Chapter 9

"Good morning, Gareth!" Gwn'itt's daily greeting never failed to bring a return smile from Gareth in return.

As always, the androgenous arcanist sounded so pleased by Gareth's arrival in the shop that Gareth found himself stopping to enquire after Gwn'itt's work, no matter what Gareth's original intention had been. Some days, that cheerful voice was the highlight of Gareth's day, setting the tone for the entire store. On other days, that happy greeting was almost a reflection of Gareth's mood. This time, it was a balm that soothed raw nerves.

"Good morning to you, as well," Gareth responded with more warmth in his voice than he'd intended. He changed direction to join Gwn'itt in front of a display case, which Gwn'itt had just added a piece to. "What are you working on today?" Gareth asked, even as Identify told him that the newly-placed item, a ring enchanted for protection from cold, was one that Gwn'itt had finished only recently.

"If you come into the back, I'd like to show you," Gwn'itt invited. "Honestly, I should appreciate any advice as well. The Ironstorm order is proving somewhat more delicate than expected." Humbly as always, Gwn'itt led the way into the enchanting room, where the long, narrow table held the pieces waiting to be enchanted.

At the far end, and elegantly crafted pair of boots sat, waiting to be finished. The Ironstorm order, Gareth knew, was for the boots to be imbued with an enchantment designed to grip whatever the toe touched, until the wearer lifted the heel in order to take the next step. The proper enchantment had been begun; Gareth could see the flicker of uncertain arcane endowment resting on them already.

Inspecting them, Gareth frowned, not seeing any weakness or problem with Gwn'itt's work. "What seems to be the trouble?" he finally asked.

With a sigh of discouragement, Gwn'itt lifted the cuff of one boot to reveal a patch of leather seeming unaffected by the magic that Gwn'itt was attempting to instill into it. "I've tried everything I can think of," Gwn'itt explained. "Why will this not enchant?" The frustration behind the question was obvious. It was the first strong emotion that Gareth had ever seen from Gwn'itt.

That emotion made the carefully modulated voice Gwn'itt used rise an entire octave, made Gareth want to hear it again. He caught himself, silently wondering why and reminding himself how badly it had turned out, whenever he'd formed an attachment with another member of the shop. Gwn'itt was practically family; better to remember that!

To distract himself from the alluring change in Gwn'itt's voice, Gareth stared closely at the offending spot in the dimly-lit chamber. A quick casting of Identify gave Gareth the answer to Gwn'itt's conundrum. "Do you carry a needle in your component pouch?" asked Gareth.

Borrowing the needle proved a mistake on Gareth's part. The brush of Gwn'itt's fingers on Gareth's palm was a distraction he didn't need. Why was Gareth so distracted by someone so . . . unremarkable, in comparison to Brightly, whom Gareth loved wholeheartedly? Digging the miniscule flaw out of the leather before him was a welcome distraction.

It was the proboscis of a vampire-fly, which had apparently been embedded in the hide of whatever animal had been used to make the boots. Originally native to the Feywild, vampire flies sucked both blood and life force from whatever they bit. Clearly, the necromantic nature of the insect had been interfering with the opposing enchantment.

As Gwn'itt's enchantment closed over the hole, Gareth explained what he'd found. It wasn't Gwn'itt's fault that Gareth was suddenly so distracted by Gwn'itt's voice and touch, so Gareth was careful to praise Gwn'itt's work and then leave at an unhurried pace. Gareth had seen Gwn'itt's discreet casting of Seeming and knew that the androgenous form that Gwn'itt displayed was a result of the spell, but it would have been an invasion of Gwn'itt's privacy for Gareth to look beyond it, at the truth, no matter how Gwn'itt's voice changed.